Abstract: The rising prevalence of hip joint disorders, particularly among aging populations, highlights the need for advanced surgical and rehabilitation strategies. The artificial ligament plays a key role in restoring joint stability in the treatment of hip joint disorders. Existing commercial artificial ligaments differ from biological ligaments in that they lack the complex hierarchical organization of natural ligaments. This study introduces bioinspired hierarchical 3D braided ligaments to replicate the nonlinear mechanical behavior of human ligaments. We examined the effects of braiding strands and angles on the tensile properties of artificial ligaments, including toe-region strain and linear modulus. Key characteristics such as stress relaxation and fatigue were also assessed. Using FEA, we simulated fiber interactions and macroscopic mechanical behavior, revealing the mechanisms behind the J-shaped curve of braided ligaments. Based on theoretical analysis, we selected a high-fidelity artificial braided ligament and compared the hip joint’s range of motion with and without it. The results show that the artificial hip with the round ligament closely mimics the human hip’s motion (beyond 95% similarity in all directions including three translations and three rotations), which reveals their potential to enhance joint stability and serve as effective therapeutic and educational tools in medical practice.

Key words: Artificial ligament')">Artificial ligament, Bioinspired 3D braiding, Hip joint, Human structure, Biomechanics